1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens drive unit, more particularly to a lens drive unit to be attached to a side of an electronic news gathering (ENG) lens.
2. Description of Related Art
A drive unit for motor-driving an operation ring such as a focus ring, a zoom ring and an iris ring is attached at a side of a lens barrel of an ENG lens used for an ENG TV. camera. A seesaw switch (a bidirectional switch) is disposed to the drive unit, and a connector for connecting to an external controller so that the lens control in focussing, zooming, iris, and so forth, can be performed with the external controller.
A necessity has recently arisen to control the drive unit by digital communication, rather than an analog signal, through a serial interface especially by a personal computer in order to use the ENG lens at a virtual studio or to control the ENG lens over long distances. However, the conventional drive unit has no connector for the serial interface, and it is spatially difficult to equip the drive unit with a special connector for the serial interface.